tonight, right here, president trump on why he suddenly called off the attack on iran. after iran shot down that u.s. drone, the president says the u.s. was cocked and loaded. saying, ten minutes before the strike, i stopped it. tonight, the president in his own words. what changed his mind. martha raddatz with late reporting. the massive explosions in philadelphia. the largest refinery on the east coast going up in flames. the blasts felt for miles. families told to shelter in place. the driver who felt the heat wash over his car. we're live on the scene tonight. authorities just a short time ago in the dominican republic coming before the cameras, explaining why tourists have died. pushing back, saying there are no mysterious deaths. as tonight we now learn of another american tourist who died there. the new surveillance showing the brutal assault on tsa agents.

a man knocking down one agent, trying to punch others. the severe weather threat on this friday night. dangerous winds and blinding rain across several states. rob, and where it hits this weekend. the weekend sting. the trump administration now saying they plan to arrest thousands of undocumented family members in this country. launching raids in as many as ten cities. there is reaction pouring in tonight. the new warning on the beach after this rare attack. a sea lion attacking a 13-year-old girl. the toxin the sea lion ingested. and the son, with millions watching, who thanked his mom first. who is our person of the week? good evening. it's great to have you with us on a very busy friday night. just 24 hours ago, last night, the u.s. was within minutes of striking iran. but president trump suddenly stopping the strike before it could happen. when news of this broke today, president trump at first saying the u.s. was cocked and loaded,

ready to target three different sites. saying he called it off with ten minutes to spare. it was meant to be retaliation after the drone was shot down. what happened? martha raddatz leads us off. >> reporter: just 24 hours after the drone shootdown, which iranian tv claims can be seen in this fireball, the u.s. military was minutes from striking back. >> they made a very bad mistake. >> reporter: despite that "mistake" and after a day of urgent pentagon preparations, a stunning change in plans. around 7:00 p.m. last night, the u.s. military was ready to launch war planes and warships at iranian targets until one final meeting between the president and members of his national security team, where trump made his dramatic reversal, against the advice, say sources, of national

security advisor john bolton and secretary of state mike pompeo. even some conservative voices on the president's favorite news channel were urging restraint. >> he knows it will define his administration. he knows that it doesn't serve american interests. but that people who work for him are pushing the united states into a position where war is very likely if not inevitable. >> reporter: this morning, as iran was displaying images of wreckage they say they say they recovered of the drone, trump confirming overnight reports. at 9:00 a.m. tweeting that ten minutes before the mission was to be launched, he changed his mind. "we were cocked and loaded to retaliate last night on three different sites when i asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a general. trump later telling nbc, he stopped it because it would not have been a proportional strike. >> they came in about a half an hour before and they said we're about ready to go. i said, i want a better definition.

>> planes in the air? >> no, we're about ready to go. no, but they would have been pretty soon. so they came and said, sir, we're ready to go. we'd like a decision. i said, i want to know something before you go. how many people will be killed? they said -- came back, said, sir, approximately 150. and i thought about it for a second. i said, you know what? they shot down an unmanned drone, plane, whatever you want to call it, and here we are sitting with 150 dead people that would have taken place probably within a half hour of saying go ahead. i didn't like it. i didn't think it was proportional. >> reporter: the iranians claimed today that they too made a humanitarian decision, deciding not to shoot down a manned u.s. p8 surveillance plane they claim was in iranian territory.

a p8, which usually has a crew of eight, was in the region taking this image of the drone falling into the water, but was in international airspace. but it was passengers aboard commercial aircraft who appeared to be in the greatest danger over the gulf of oman, with a flight track showing the missile passing just miles in front of a civilian qatar airways flight. >> this is a completely irresponsible action by the iranians to shoot a missile just miles in front of a commercial airliner. if the radar track had shifted from the drone, to that commercial airliner, we would be talking about hundreds of people who would have been killed by this iranian missile. >> martha, back with us live tonight. a lot of pressure within the administration to move forward. but tonight, nancy pelosi saying she's glad the president held back. >> the strength of that amount of collateral damage would be very provocative.

i'm glad the president did not take that. >> and the white house and administration will take concerns over iran to the u.n.? >> reporter: they will. the u.s. has called for a closed door u.n. security council meeting monday to discuss iran. the president saying he is in no hurry and believing the sanctions are working. but this standoff with iran is far from over. david? >> martha, thank you. we are also following the massive explosions in philadelphia, the largest oil refinery in the east erupting in smoke and flames. the blast felt miles away. homes shaking. communities on lockdown for a ti ti time. tonight, the fire is still burning. here's whit johnson. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: at least three blasts, starting around 4:00 a.m., rocking people from their beds in south philadelphia. >> we just had an explosion with heavy fire. >> reporter: a giaeball arg abova raing oil refinery.

the explosions shaking nearby homes, knocking artwork off the walls. the strongest, so intense it was seen on satellite images. debris raining from the sky. >> it just had a big boom sound to it. it was just boom and then the whole, everything just lit up. >> reporter: the concussion felt miles away in new jersey. hazmat and fire crews rushing to the scene. chris stein driving by, sharing this dramatic video. >> it was a mushroom cloud. you could really feel the heat coming from that explosion in the car. >> reporter: tonight, the fire is contained. the cause under investigation. officials initially concerned, issuing a shelter in place warning. now saying air quality tests showed no danger to the public. confirming five employees suffered minor injuries. this marking the second fire at the same facility in just 11 days.

>> and whit joins us live from philly. officials saying the refinery is operating at reduced capacity. what could that mean for gas prices in the region? >> reporter: this complex processes 330,000 gallons of crude oil today. don't be surprised if prices jump five to ten cents in the area. >> thank you. and now to the authorities in the dominican republic with autopsy results, as we learn about the tenth death in the last 12 months. here's victor oquendo.tonight, fbi team on the ground assisting with investigations into american deaths in the domainicn

republic. state department officials confirming mark hurlbut, from arizona, is at least the tenth american to die while visiting different resorts across the island in the last year. >> there weren't a lot of answers. we still don't have a lot of answers, i don't think. >> reporter: hurlbut's family telling our dallas station that he told his wife he felt sick the night before he died last june. local officials determined the cause of death was a heart attack, but his family says he didn't have any heart issues. there is no indication that the ten deaths are connected. today the d.r.'s minister of tourism pushing back on reports, saying there are no mysterious deaths, and that the fatality rate is actually lower than previous years among the 3 million americans who visit. saying, "what some media have characterized as an avalanche of deaths does not correspond with the reality that we are seeing today." officials are awaiting the results of toxicology reports. but families of those who died, anxious to hear more. >> nobody can give me a solid answer on how she passed away. >> reporter: and late today, the family of the couple who died called the tourism minister's

remarks repugnant. david? >> victor, thank you. and next injured. aernd trying to'sery. >>epte tugh a phoenix tsa checkt and swinging at officers. as he starts to push through a scanner, an officer tries to stop him. she is thrown to the ground. the suspect then takes swings at two other officers. tyrese garner was finally subdued. >> i always think there must be something wrong, he must be high. >> reporter: police say they were unable to determine if the young man, who was yelling and making noise during his interview after the incident, was under the influence or unstable. one of the officers was taken to the hospital, four others to urgent care. all released after tuesday's incident. assaults appear to be increasing at tsa checkpoints. there were 88 last year, but already 76 this fiscal year. the suspect faces two felony

counts of resisting arrest and five counts of assault against the officers. >> thank you. we move to the severe weather threat heading into the weekend. the system spawning a tornado in minnesota. and violent thunderstorms in the heartland. this lightning is from near kansas city, kansas. let's get right to rob marciano. hey, rob. >> reporter: hi, david. winds gusting over 60 miles an hour in kansas city. and in colorado, a severe thunderstorm watch. and storms from savannah to springfield, also to oklahoma city. the cold front could bring a half a foot of snow in the colorado rockies tonight. david? >> rob, thank you. we learned that the trump administration plans raids in as

many as 100 cities.t,e are urgi i.c.e. comesour door. here's mary bruce. >> reporter: tonight, immigration and customs enforcement is preparing a mass roundup of migrant families that have already received deportation orders. predawn raids, reportedly known as "family op," planned for this sunday in ten major cities. the i.c.e. director speaking on abc news live. >> one of the greatest pull factors for families to come here is they know that once they arrive in the united states, they remain here untouched. we have to change that message. >> reporter: these kinds of raids typically target criminals, not families. houston's police chief sounding a warning. >> the last thing we need is to evoke that kind of fear where people go further into the shadows and stop cooperating with law enforcement at the local level. >> reporter: the raids come days after the president kicked off his re-election campaign by promising that "i.c.e. will begin the process of removing

the millions of illegal aliens" starting next week. at the time, a senior administration official told abc those massive deportations were, quote, "not imminent." immigration officials say they don't know anything about a planned round up of millions of people. >> well, they know. they know. they're going to start next week. >> reporter: the raids planned for this weekend are sweeping but fall far short of the president's promise to deport millions. and overall, trump is deporting far fewer people than obama did at this point in his presidency. >> mary, live in washington tonight. officials in some of the cities where raids are expected, already sounding the alarm? we have a statement just in from chicago? >> reporter: the chicago mayor says they will not cooperate with the raids, and are warning people not to open doors if i.c.e. agents come knocking. >> mary, thank you. now to the major ruling from the supreme court, curtis

flowers claimed racial bias during jury selection affected him. so, another trial is expected. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: curtis flowers has insisted to this day that he did not murder four people in 1996, inside this mississippi furniture store where he used to work. his case is the subject of a his case is the subject of a popular series on starz. >> how do you put someone on death row, with a circumstantial case? he didn't do it. >> reporter: prosecutors never found a murder weapon or physical evidence tying him to the scene, and in today's decision it was justice brett kavanaugh writing for the 7-2 majority, accusing the state of discrimination, and allowing a seventh trial. his words were a slap to the prosecutor, saying that mississippi's "relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of black individuals strongly suggests that the state wanted to try flowers before a jury with as few black jurors as possible, and ideally before an all-white jury."

justices thomas and gorsuch dissented. during oral arguments, some of the other justices were dumbfounded. >> after that, every black juror that was available on the panel was struck? >> yes. >> reporter: flowers lost at nearly all of his trials before all-white juries. his attorneys point out that the two times the juries were more diverse, both juries deadlocked. david? >> thank you. still ahead on "world news tonight," the suspect's car crashing into another vehicle. and at thebeach, after a rare attack, a sea lion attacking a 13-year-old girl, the toxin the sea lion had inge ingested. and the lottery winner who had filed for divorce, but it was not final yet.

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we turn next tonight to the nightmare at the shore in california, a teenage girl bitten by a sea lion in shallow waters. here's adrienne bankert. >> reporter: this video captures the moment a fun day at the beach turned into a nightmare for a california teen. 13-year-old megan pegnini attacked in the shallow surf, bitten on the leg by a sea lion. >> it was just total fear. i started screaming as loud as i possibly could to see if someone could help me. >> reporter: and tonight, as megan recovers, a warning from fish and game officials who say that female sea lion who bit her exhibited signs of poisoning from domoic acid, a toxin found in algae. it can cause seizures in the animals, confusion, even death. >> a sea lion with domoic acid toxicity will act disoriented and behave differently and potentially more likely to harm a human than they normally would. >> reporter: though sea lion attacks are rare, the animals are powerful.

in 2017, this sea lion pulled a little girl off the dock and into the water. in the last ten days, the marine mammal center here in california has rescued more than 50 sea lions and seals. all of them affected by domoic acid. experts say when you're at the beach, stay away from wildlife. >> thank you. when we come back, the new headline about heart health and genetics. and the lottery win. does the ex-wife deserve some of that money if the divorce isn't final yet? th support, chantix is proven to help you quit. with chantix you can keep smoking at first and ease into quitting. chantix reduces the urge so when the day arrives, you'll be more ready to kiss cigarettes goodbye. when you try to quit smoking, with or without chantix, you may have nicotine withdrawal sympt stop chantix and get help right away if you have changes in behavior or thinking, aggression, hostility, depressed mood, suicidal thoughts or actions, seizures,

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to the "index" of other news. and the deadly chase in florida. an officer trailing suspects who sped away during a traffic stop. those suspects going the wrong way, crashing into another vehicle. after police help another driver caught in that wreck, they try to pull the unresponsive suspects from the flames. that car ready to explode at any moment. both those suspects later died. turns out genetics may play more of a role in heart problems than previously thought. a study in the "journal of the american college of cardiology" suggests your inherited risk of heart disease may be around 30%, not 20%. doctors now say the new findings may impact the way heart disease is treated. and the divorced man getting a lot less from his mega millions jackpot than he thought. a michigan appeals court ruling richard zelasko must share his $39 million after tax winnings with his ex-wife. they filed for divorce two years t the divorce wasn't final.t. he now has to hand over $15 million. ouch. and mick is back. the legend posting these shots from soldier field in chicago, where the stones will make their triumphant return tonight. first time back on stage since

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and we're developing ultra-fast-charging technology for evs.. at bp, we see possibilities everywhere. so we can all keep advancing. finally tonight, our person of the week. he's 6'7", 285 pounds. he's a star but not without thanking his mother first. growing up in south carolina, it was clear zion williamson would be a star. he drew crowds at his high school basketball games. his first coach was his mother. in fact, until he was 14. just this week, robin roberts asking him what that was like.

>> what was that like being coached by your mom? >> she was the hardest coach i ever had. we would be in the car ride after middle school games. my stepdad would be like, that was a great game. she would be like, you missed the pass, didn't shoot it. her being my biggest critic was the best thing for me. >> reporter: a grateful son. his hard work paying off. first at duke. >> look out. with the left hand. >> reporter: then last night, everyone thought he would be the number one pick. and he was. >> the new orleansse williamson >> reporter: though he knew it was coming, the moment was his first hug was for his mother. just 18, 6'7", 285 pounds. he's grateful for that first coach. >> my mom sacrificed a lot for me. i wouldn't be here without my

mom. she did everything for me. i just want to thank her. >> reporter: his mother and his younger brother. >> she put her dreams aside for mine. >> to watch his hard work pay off, and to watch this, we're so happy for him. >> reporter: tears streaming down his face. zion, on this moment.was 4. and for it to actually happen, i just thank god for it. >> so we choose zion and his mother. thank you for watching this week. tom is here this weekend. i'll see you monday. now news to build a better bay fraer abc7. >> good afternoon. thank you for joining us. i'm ama daetz. >> the man accused of killing two people in san mateo county says he didn't do it.

abc news sat down with malik dosouqi in an exclusive interview. >> the bodies in the fatal stabbing were found earlier this week. the suspect has booked into county jail and faces double murder charges. >> 31-year-old john pekipaki and abdual nasher were killed. reporter unser hassan got an exclusive interview with the suspect malik dosouqi who sayss >> reporter: i was given five minutes, no cameras and recording devices. i asked him did you kill abdulkaren nasher or john pekipaki. >> he answered me no. i told me he wants to prove his innocence and believes he was wrongfully accused. he says he plans to prove his innocence by getting a lawyer but asked me how to even get a

lawyer. doe dosouqi said i don't remember anything except waking up in the hospital. his left arm was heavily bandaged. he says an officer explained he suffered nerve dam damage in the crash before his arrest. on thursday he was booked on eight charges including two counts of murder. in the jailhouse interview, he says the officer told him that he worked at a hotel but dosouqi says he doesn't remember if he does or not. he told me he was a shown a picture of his parents but esons a ife s struggling to find words. he didn't seem to understand the gravity of what's happen, that he's being charged with two